Wire-fence tightener



(No Model.) V

P. A. LEYNER.

WIRE FENCE TIGHTBNER.

Patented Oct. 2, 1894.

NITED STATES PETER ANTON LEYNER,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF OANFIELD, COLORADO.

WIRE-FENCE TIGHTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 526,718, dated October 2, 189&.

Application filed May 14, 1394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat 1, PETER ANTON LEYNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Canfield, in the county of Boulder and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fence Tighteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for tightening wire fences and for withdrawing the wire holding staples from the fence posts, and the objects of my invention are, first; to provide a simple and effective device capable of instant application to any part of a barbed wire fence; second, to provide means for quickly loosening and withdrawing the staples. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated and described in the accompanying drawings and specification, 1n which Figure 1 presents a side elevation of my fence tightener. Fig. 2 presentsa plan view of the same. Fig. 3 presents a perspective View showing a barbed wire fence, and the application to it of the tightener in several positions.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, A; represents a round steel rod preferably about one half inch in diameter. On one end I form atapering, curved hook B. This hook is disposed so that when the point enters the wire holding staple O. the rod will stand at a convenient angle from the post so that the hand will not interfere with the barbed wires while holding it. A few blows of a small hammer are necessary to force the curved point under the staple. Then if the rod is swung around as shown by the arrow, the curved end will fulcrum against the post, forcing the staples out. This hook is bent at right angles to the body of the rod, so that it will stand in a horizontal plane when the rod is first placed on the wire, which permits its inner curve to form an abutment for Serial No. 511.114. (No model.)

I that side of the hand intermediate of the wrist and the little finger. The other end of the rod is also tapered to a point and is curved and bent in the several ways shown which permits the tapered end, when the rod rests on the wire as at E., to pass around and under the wire at an oblique angle and then upward and forward a short distance by the wire, the wire passing under the body of the rod and over the obliquely bent portion F. and by the side of the upwardly extending end.

To take the slack out of the wire fence I take the rod in one hand allow the end of the rod to rest on the wire and raise the outer end until the point G. will pass under the wire; then I carry down the outer end 13. until the rod rests on the wire as shown at E. Then if the rod is swung around in the direction of the arrow about two thirds of asemi-circle, aloop will be formed by the end of the rod similar to II. This loop is sufficient, but-if it is desired to give the loop a twist, I withdraw the rod to near the point as at I, and give one more stroke to close the loop similar to J., which is all that is ever necessary, as it will not pull or stretch out. Many of the devices in use for this purpose are complicated and expensive and rewires, which requires time and necessarily makes the tightening of a wire fence tedious; but with this implement several miles of fence may be tightened in a day. The hook is admirably adapted to loosen the staples, which is often necessary to equalize the tension between posts, or to entirely withdraw the staples from them. Several loops can be made between posts but generally only one is required. It is a simple tightening device, efficient, inexpensive and makes a small and neat loop.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp 1. A device for tightening barb wire fences tapering curved hook on one end adapted to loosen the wire holding staples in the posts and an opposite tapering end curved and angularly disposed to rest on said wires and to pass spirally over and under and upward by the said wires, whereby the wires may be overquire to be secured either to the posts or to the comprising a manually operated rod having a y lapped and a loop formed therein, thereby bentat right angles to the plane of the spiral, I0 tightening the said fence Wire,.' substantially as specified.

as herein set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 2. A device for tightening wire fences compresence of two Witnesses. 5 prising a. rod having a spirally curved end I 1 adapted to spirally surround the wire longi- PETER ANTON tudinally for a short distance, and tapering Witnesses: from back of the spiral portion through the J. GEO. LEYNER, spiral to a point, and acurved, tapering hook W. D. HITCHCOOK. 

